About UW-Madison Languages

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a national powerhouse when it comes to language education and research. The university offers instruction in approximately 50 modern languages during the academic year.  Many other languages are taught in the summer through the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes and L&S departments.

The study of languages is a key component of the Wisconsin Experience, preparing UW-Madison students to become outstanding leaders who are engaged locally, nationally, and globally. In fact, UW-Madison has more undergraduates who major in a language other than English than any other public university in the United States, when first and second majors are taken into account.

Our dedicated faculty in UW-Madison departments of languages, literatures, linguistics and cultures, and affiliated with the university’s centers for international and area studies, are world-renowned scholars with research expertise that spans the globe.

The UW-Madison Languages website is here to help you discover which language and program are right for you. 

Our online presence is managed by the Language Institute, a hub on the UW-Madison campus for collaboration in education, advising, outreach and research related to the study of human languages. Learn more about our mission and read our diversity statement here.

Which UW-Madison departments teach languages?

Languages are taught at UW-Madison through a number of different departments and programs, including: